Hey dumb question what are everyone using to clean karts the oil is bad and the simple green doesnt seem to get it all off I have a pressure washer but unsure if that to use as there are bearings and such on chassis. Sorry for all the dumb questions and been great learning and advice has been great! thanks in advance.
Spray the kart with WD-40, wipe, spray with 409, wipe. You can substitute the 409 with Simple Green. Buy the WD-40 by the gallon can and fill smaller spray bottles.
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Flush the bearings and cut the grease with starting fluid. Like Tony said, WD-40 to wipe off grease/dirt and a cleaning agent to wipe the WD-40 off.
Starting fluid never would thought of that! Sweet thanks everyone for all the great guidance!
Brake cleaner is also good, but brake cleaner is harder on the powder coating than starting fluid.
Umm, Race Jizz, anything else is uncivilized https://www.fastkartsupply.com/products/race-jizz
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I’ve seen folks use WD40…I still don’t understand why other than it being a cheap option.
For me:
Bodywork & Plastics: Simple Green to degrease, Greased Lightning (aqueous solution) to effectively clean, Maxima SC1 or Amsoil Miracle Wash to protect and shine
Bare Metals: WD40/Brakekleen/gasoline to clean, Wd40 to protect and shine but remove excess. Mating surfaces such as axle races will also use scotch brite where appropriate. Obviously don’t use WD40 on brake rotor…
Painted metals/chrome: Simple Green to clean, SC1 or Miracle Wash to protect.
Bearings/areas of rotation: nothing even comes close to tri-flow. Nothing. If you can avoid using it, go ahead, but realistically after a few months of run in even modern karts need some lubrications at joints.
Sure, you can go with WD40…it’ll attract more dirt yet again and damage plastics long term. Simple green alone is a dust attractant as well.
Pledge is a cheaper semi-acceptable alternative to SC1 for a spray and shine. Everyone I’ve shown SC1 or Miracle wash to has switched to it and never deviated, it’s obscenely awesome stuff.
Oh! And plexus is great for cleaning helmets.
Man great write up will try that for sure!
Wd 40 for the quick wipe downs. I’ll use a purple degreaser with a pressure washer when I remove motor and cover steering wheel. Then use compressed air to blow off and blow wd-40 into bearings and follow up with some tri-flow
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Wait, Pledge? The stuff you use in the washer?
I think Eric means the spray polish:
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Err that’s what I meant. It never occurred to me that it could be used as a cleaner.
Remove engine every day of use
- clean engine with brake clean
- clean chassis with WD40
- body work with WD40 or simple green (etc)
- some sort of polish/sealer on bodywork (I use motul)
- plexus for helmet, shield. Every session.
- when my carbs are at my house, I disassemble and put in ultra sonic parts washer after each weekend.
For traveling at big races we completely disassembly chassis after the race weekend and put back in original box (yes, we take it that far apart) and then rebuild for next event. It ensures everything is clean and forces you to inspect for cracks, etc. (same reason we remove engine every night)
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I use a pump sprayer, mix liquid tide and some water. Pump it, spray it, let it sit for a few minutes and hose off. Of course this is for the kart itself. I use wd40 to keep the frame, engine and axles wiped down.
If the track is super dirty then after cleaning you can use spam to put on side panels and nose, will keep most from sticking
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I have a spray bottle mixed with Simple Green and Dawn Dish soap (Pre-cleaner). I use it on the kart and I use carb cleaner/ brake cleaner on the engine, sprocket, chain, and anything else thats super greasy. I let it sit for a few, then I use my pressure washer to knock eveything off. Then I use an air chuck and blow all the water off, and wipe everything down with WD-40 afterwards.
Not sure if I should remove the Wd-40 after the wipe down, but I usually don’t due to the humidity so it doesn’t rust easy. If I was back in California, I wouldn’t bother. But here in Florida, things rust alot faster.
I see some 2 stoke guys use mineral spirits in a pressure sprayer, but that seems like over kill to me. But then again, maybe they know something I don’t . . . 
With a latex glove on I soak a heavy-duty (shop towel) paper towel with mineral spirits. I fold it into quarters and wipe and turn the towel so I get multiple sides. I clean everything, body work, chassis, rims, and it takes off everything but stubborn rubber marks.
The best stuff is mineral spirits but it’s not legal in CA, so it must have some toxic downside. I think it’s cheaper than WD-40. It’s oily so it protects bare metal. I think it’s better than WD-40. For heavy grease on plastic Goo Gone works. I use is 409 for final cleaning plastic and chrome. Brake cleaner will take the paint off or dull the paint on many karts.
What do you guys do with the carburetor to keep it in good working order?
Do you leave it as is? If you disassemble it, do you always replace the gaskets / diaphragms?
Speaking for the 2 cycle carbs, I will completely disassemble and clean the carb in my ultrasonic cleaner in a mix of degreaser and water. I do this about every 4-6 races. I will replace the gaskets and diaphragm. I know there are some that replace the diaphragm every race weekend, but that seems like overkill to me.